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Scioscia sits six regulars prior to storm

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By Spencer Fordin
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MLB.com |

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The rain kept the Angels from playing their front-line players on Friday, robbing manager Mike Scioscia of his second chance to see Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols batting back-to-back. Scioscia changed his lineup due to the weather, sitting down six regulars.

Howie Kendrick, Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos were also in the original lineup, and Scioscia knows he'll have plenty of chances to see his batting order click over the next few weeks. The Angels are especially interested to see how Hamilton, a free-agent signee, will mix in with the team.

Scioscia was asked before Friday's game whether he'll ask Hamilton -- who has never walked more than 64 times in a season -- to be less aggressive at the plate. And when he replied, he said that when you have a player as good as Hamilton, you pretty much have to let him do what he does.

"I think if you look at what you perceive as pluses or minuses for any player in baseball, the bottom line is going to be their body of work and what they do," said Scioscia. "His numbers are off the charts. I think he's in an elite group of hitters. Sometimes, there's going to be streaks involved.

"You wouldn't ask [former Angel] Vlad Guerrero to go out there and try to draw more walks. Some parts of a player, the same things that make them terrific occasionally make them vulnerable."

Hamilton, a career .304 hitter, is batting .500 (5-for-10) this spring, and the Angels are hoping to get Pujols on track in front of him. Pujols, a three-time National League Most Valuable Player Award winner, has played in just one spring game due to offseason surgery on his right knee and should be back in the mix Saturday.

"When you have Albert and Josh, it gives you an incredible middle that is hopefully going to give you a deep offensive look," said Scioscia. "I think [Josh is] going to fit right in with the way these guys run the bases, with the way these guys put themselves in scoring position. That's just part of our team."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.